


Returning to Adriata

by shieraseastar03



Series: ACOMAF [16]
Category: A Court of Thorns and Roses Series - Sarah J. Maas
Genre: Adriata, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Healing, The Summer Court (ACoTaR)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-30
Updated: 2019-05-30
Packaged: 2020-03-30 01:33:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,355
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19032037
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shieraseastar03/pseuds/shieraseastar03





	Returning to Adriata

A white marble floor welcomed Shiera as she fell to her knees when she realized she was finally safe. In a moment Varian appeared and run towards her. “Shiera, Shiera…” he whispered terrified. Her back… She had been whipped, much more than in Under the Mountain. “Shiera”. His brown hands cupping her face now. “What the hell have you done?” he yelled at Tamlin and Lucien who were frozen, without knowing what to do now.

 

“CRESS! CRESS! COME NOW! WE NEED A HEALER!”.

 

“Everything is going to be alright, everything will be fine” he whispered sweetly as she pressed her head to his chest, her blood staining his blue and golden tunic, the white floor. “You are at home, you are safe”. 

 

She sobbed even more and he caressed her dark, wet hair, feeling the blood on it. 

 

The silver-haired Princess of Adriata arrived followed by a young male, the healer. “Shiera!” she let out astonished and knelt next to her brother who was holding the young female. “What…? What happened?”. Shiera wept again, her body trembling as the healer approached her back and began to heal it. “Rhys…?” Varian spoke in a quiet voice that only the princesses heard. “Later, later. I will tell you later” she said in their minds.

 

“What the hell did you do to her?” Cresseida also demanded to the males standing there. Her sister shook her head. “I… I will tell you later but…”. She took a deep breath. “Tamlin… Tamlin” begged, extending a hand and he knelt beside her in a moment. “I… I need…”. “Whatever you want, whatever you need” he spoke with a hand caressing her shoulder. 

 

“Let me stay here… One week to heal here and then…”, she couldn’t stand to say it but she lifted her face until her green eyes met his, begging. “And then we will return home” she let out in a whisper. Home… She nearly laughed at the word she used to refer to the Spring manor, to that golden prison. “We will return home… Together”.

 

Tamlin stared at her for a moment, feeling the longing in her words. “A week?”. She nodded and managed to give him a smile, knowing what he wanted her to say. “And then I’ll be yours forever” she whispered and knew by his face that she had won again.  “I don’t want to leave you alone after all you have been through” he spoke, his thumb caressing her right cheek and she shook her head. “I’m not alone” she let out looking at her family.

 

Play along, please, play along… She whispered to their minds.

 

After a moment Varian looked at Tamlin as he tried not to spit at him. “We will take care of her” he declared and Tamlin nodded before lowering his head and claim the princess’ lips. Shiera felt poison in her mouth as the High Lord of Spring kissed her. She realized she had never kissed him before and she wasn’t sure of how to endure it for a month if everything went well. But Rhys had endured worst things, much worst for fifty years without hesitating and she only had to do it for a month. For Rhys, for his family she would do it, she would endure it so she lifted a hand and cradled Tamlin’s neck as they kissed.

 

She wanted to vomit. 

 

Finally, Tamlin separated a bit from her. “I will come in a week” he muttered and she nodded, giving him a grateful, shy smile. Then the High Lord and Lucien vanished into a floral scent as they winnowed back to the Spring Court.

 

* * *

 

“What the hell…?” Cresseida began but Varian cut her off, “Not now. She needs more healers”, his hands cupped her face again, “We will take you to a room”. Shiera nodded in agreement as relieved tears fell now from her eyes, knowing that Tamlin was away and she could explain everything to her family even if they hated her for what she had done, for the love she had found.

 

Varian slid his arms around her waist as she wrapped her own around his neck while he lifted and carried her to a room, her old room, the room that had belonged to her since the day she first have arrived to the beautiful palace.

 

More healers were called as Varian placed the young princess on the white sheets, blood still falling from her mangled back, her hair, her breasts. The healers worked on her for hours until only thick scars remained on her back, even thicker than the ones she had form Under the Mountain.

 

She cried as they healed her, Cress holding her left hand and Varian monitoring the healing process. She wept but not due to the pain but due to the loss deep in her soul. She had finally found love again, she had finally found someone that understood her, who took care of her, who wanted her to be happy. She had found a wonderful family, a wonderful home, a… A wonderful mate… And in a moment she had lost everything.

 

But she would get it back, she would fight for it, for him, for them. She would destroy Tamlin if necessary. Although by now she couldn’t do much, only praying to all the gods, to the Mother, the Cauldron that the Inner Circle were safe and being healed. She hoped her blood worked, helped them… It had to.

 

* * *

 

When they finished and the healers left Shiera managed to lift her body to face the Prince and Princess of Adriata. Varian gave her a silver-silk robe to cover her bare torso and Shiera accepted it gratefully but touching the soft fabric under her fingers… For a moment she was again at the town house, ready to put the dress on, to watch Starfall, then to mate Rhys…

 

She shook her head. Focus, focus, focus.

 

“You need to rest” Cress whispered but Shiera shook her head again. “I… I need to explain you…”, her voice broke. How she could do it without them to hate her?. 

 

“Rhys. Where is he? What happened? We thought you were in his Court” Varian began softly and Shiera nodded. “I was…”. Was… Not anymore until she finished her work with Tamlin. “He… Rhys…”. “I can’t believe he did this to you. It makes no sense” Cresseida commented and her sister shook her head another time. “No, no… He would never… He… He...”.

 

Sobs took control of her body again as she remembered those violet skies inside his eyes. 

 

The siblings exchanged a glare and then looked at the dark-haired female again. “Shiera… Are you together?” Cress asked kindly, “Is he your lover?”. The High lady covered her mouth with her hands as she wept even more. “He… He…”. Another deep breath, trying to calm herself. “Rhys… Rhys is not my lover” she finally managed to say. “He is my mate”.

 

* * *

 

No one spoke for a moment. Varian and Cresseida seemed like they had been punched. “Mate?” Cress let out, “You are mates? How?”. Shiera lifted her face shyly and held their blue gazes before entering in their minds.

 

She told them everything, every thought, every moment of despair since they arrived from Under the Mountain. How broken she was inside, why she had gone with Tamlin to escape from her neverending pain. Then how she wanted to die, how she broke even more in that golden cage. How the bargain was her only hope, how she felt alive for the first time in three months when Rhys appeared. How he made her smile, how she was introduced to his wonderful family. 

 

Then feelings, images… Her nightmares and his support. Training, visiting Nesta and Elain. How they started to slept together. Her feeling of being betraying Tarquin. Her confusing feelings towards Rhys. The Weaver. Adriata. Her breakdown, his support. Hewn City. Starfall… The attack. The Suriel and… The cabin. How she finally opened her heart fully to him after hearing the truth. The letter. The wedding. The silver shell. The attack of Velaris. And finally… Hybern, where everything had went to shit.

 


End file.
